The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) presented at the 28th PILON Meeting in 2009 on its Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and International Recovery Assistance (“the Guidelines”). The guidelines provide recommendations for governments on how to prepare disaster plans for the common regulatory problems in international disaster relief operations. PILON member countries were encouraged to contact the IFRC if their governments were interested in reviewing their existing frameworks, discussing gaps in their legislation and identifying potential priorities in disaster relief legislation.

The IFRC facilitated development of a "Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Assistance", designed to assist states to integrate the recommendations of the Guidelines into their national laws. The pilot version of the Model Act was made available to states and National Societies at the 31st International Conference of the IFRC in November 2011.

The Model Act is intended to serve as a reference tool and example to law-makers as they develop legislation appropriate to their national circumstances, and is able to be used as the basis of a stand-alone act or for amendments and additions to existing laws. The Model Act, and further updates and information, is available at the IFRC website (here).

In September 2011, PILON was represented by New Zealand at an experts’ meeting to review a draft Model Act prior to presentation to the Red Cross International Conference. The report from the expert meeting in relation to the draft Model Act is available here.